7 40 
A Defcripion of CEYLON. 
Cs^'^y^ tery againft the Baftion of St. Jolm, in four or five days in ilght of Wirtgurlahy 
order to deftroy their Pallifado Work in reafon of the contrary Winds. That 
the Ditch, and to facilitate the bringing three Patachos or Yachts were failed for 
over of the Gallery. The General told Mofambique ^ but one being leaky, was 
the Emperor's D///^?w, that he ftood in forc'd tojeturn to v^owt^/^? .• Two more 
need of 4 or 500 Pioneers and Work- " 
men , but he declined the matter, telling 
him, that when he came to the Emperor, 
he would doubtlefs not deny his Requeft. 
A rorcu- About the fame time a Portuguefe Mer- 
gwdcMcr- chant came in a Boat crofs the Bay into 
our Camp, in company of a A'egro Trum- 
peter : They reported, that they were 
reduced to great extremity in the Place ; 
that no lefs than 1 30 had been buried 
yefterday •, and that if moft of the Por- 
ilhint 
cvnes into 
thr Camp. 
to Macajfar^ two more io China ^ and one 
Carack and a Galeon, viz.. the Bon Jcfm 
and NojJ'a Senbora cic Gratia^ fet fail the 
1 9th ot Ftbructry for Portugal j aboard of 
which were carried the following Gentle- 
m.en, being accufed of certain Crimes a - 
gainft the Government, "viz.. Don Bras ds 
Cfl/?ro,late Govei nour General i Don Lewis 
de Souz.a ^ Don Pedro dc Ca[iro i Manuel de 
S0UZ.0 Cabracr^ Maftcr of the Artillery \ 
Diego deSilvaar^ Captain Majors Efie- 
tuguefcs had not their Legs fwell'd by the '^^ow de Mdo^ late Governour of Bajfyn 
iiard Wi 
liinis. 
Dropfy,they had deferted long before this. 
The 19th of March the Enemy were 
preparing to attack the Redoubt of Paul 
Alcno two hours before day j but the Ne- 
gro pioneers with the Sentinel retreating 
in time, and giving the Alarm, they re- 
tired, c'ifter having e^:changed fome Muf- 
quet-halls vvithaur doing any harm. Four 
IJeputys arriving foon after to enquire 
the occafion of fuch fmart Firing, they 
were flievvn the Works, and told, that 
we wanted 4 or 'yOoColysox Labourers. 
Three other Fifliermen were alfo brought 
up by the Seamen, who had the ufual Re- 
ward given them. 
News from At the fame time the Pophnshurgh 
Goa advt- Yacht arriving from Wingurla^ brought 
icdby Leo- following Advice : 
That Don Rodrigo de Loho^ C.ondc de Se- 
cYcdo^ Viceroy of G'o^, and his Secretary, 
with three of his Domellicks, having 
been poifoned, died within 4 or 5 days 
after. His Death being concealed for 
fome time, Alanuel Mafcarenhcvs Homem^ 
formerly Governour of Ctj'/ow, was (pur- 
fuant to the King's Orders) conftituted 
two days after Viceroy in his ftead : But 
the Fidalgos or Gentlemen not being fatif- 
tyd with his Perfon, they expedfed daily a 
Revolt (jufi: as it happen'd againft him at 
Columbo, i'552.) However, not long af- 
ter the Viceroy's Death, the Merchants 
of Oca began to load all the Yachts that 
were there, as alfo one Galeon and a 
Carack •, whilft the Governour was bufy 
in equipping of Men of War and other 
Veffcls, intended for Ceylon, offering 20 
Sera['hyns (or Dutch Guilders) to every 
Soldier that would lilt himfelf Our Re- 
hdcnt of Wmgurla further advis'd, that 
they had fcnt from Goa 160 Ships, and 
among them 16 Men of War, the 8 ^/j of 
Fehrnayy^ to the North, to fetch Provifi- 
ons and fome ether necellary Commodi- 
ties \ and that the faid Fleet had tarried 
Charles Phidfart^ a rich Merchant , 
Dr. Caldero ^ and Jeronimo Loho de Falhetta. 
In the BaJJyn (under the Jurifdicf i.on of 
Goa) remained Prifoners, on account of 
being concerned in the dcclarmg Don Bras 
dcCajhoyicQioy^ Don Rodrigo Monfanto^ 
a Captain in the Bajjyn -, the f^eador de 
FazendaSj or Suv-lntendant of the Mer- 
chants and Lion Ccrre. 
He advifed, that the before-mention'd 
Carack andGaleon had aboard a very large 
Cargo of Stulfs and Callico's, of Cinna- 
mon, Indigo, Pepper, Bezoar-ftones, 
Cloves, &c. And that feveral of the 
richefl Merchants of Goa having embark'd 
all their Effedts aboard the faid two Vef- 
fels, were gone privately along with 
them to Portugal. 
Two days before the Yachts the 
rick-fee and Nacrden arrived before Goa, 
4 Patamars with a Portuguefe.^ came 
to that Place to bring advice of the defpe- 
rate Condition of Columbo, and that they 
Hood in great need of the fp long expect- 
ed Succours. But the Government of 
Goa finding a great averfion in the Portu- 
guese Soldiers, as well as the Negro Sea- 
men, to go to Ceylon^ cfpecially in this 
dangerous Seafon ^ they pretended to 
have receiv'd Letters iVom Don ylnthonio 
de Souz-^Coutinho, Governour of Columbo^ 
with advice, that the Dutch had binforc'd, 
with the aflillance of liaja Singa^ to raife 
the Siege •, and to make this News pafs 
for current, the new Viceroy Manuel 
ALafcartnhas Homem got the Governour of 
Columbo his Hand counterfeited, and or- 
der'd for three days fucceHively Ringing 
of Bells, Illuminations, Bonfires, and 
^ Pjtamars are Indian AJvicc-boats cover' J all oier 
for the Carriage of Letters, which thej tie round tn 
iVax Cloths to the Majh. Vitimiti are alfo fi^m^ 
foot-Fofts, 
Other 
